


Movie Date

by m11kewheeler



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Friendship, the gang goes to the movies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-02
Updated: 2016-10-02
Packaged: 2018-08-19 02:00:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8184785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/m11kewheeler/pseuds/m11kewheeler
Summary: Mike and the boys take El to see her first ever movie. Confusion over what the heck popcorn is and awkward hand holding ensues.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is a prompt I got on tumblr. Follow me @ m11kewheeler! :)

Mike was in the middle of his second piece of pizza when he suddenly realized El had never been to the movies. 

She had watched while he argued with Dustin earlier that day about which Star Wars movie was better: The Empire Strikes Back or Return of the Jedi, and it only occurred to him now that Eleven had absolutely _no idea_ what he and Dustin were talking about. To her, they must of been speaking in some foreign language. 

Well, Mike decided that was going to change. 

“It’s like the moving pictures on TV, but bigger,” Mike explained as he, Dustin, Lucas, Will, and El walked inside the giant theater the next afternoon. 

El nodded as she looked around the unfamiliar setting in wonder. 

“We gotta pick a good movie to watch,” Dustin said. “Eleven will remember her first movie for the rest of her life.”

El and the boys walked up to the ticket counter to see what was playing. 

“Oooh, how about Ghostbusters!” Lucas said.  

“Do you think she’ll like it?” Mike asked. “El, what do you–” He turned around to where she was standing just a minute ago, now empty. “El?” He panicked for a split second before spotting her around the corner. 

“El?” Mike said again as he walked up to her. She was staring at the poster for Sixteen Candles with a smile on her face. She looked at Mike hopefully. 

“Sixteen Candles?” He asked, studying the poster. 

“Jonathan took Nancy to see that,” Will commented. “Said it was chick flick.”

“Can we watch it?” El asked softly.

“Sure,” Mike nodded, ignoring the groans and eye rolls from his three friends. 

“But Ghostbusters,” Lucas whined. 

“We’ll see it another time.” Mike got his money out and stood in line for the tickets. 

* * *

 

“Okay, so you have to be quiet in movies,” Mike explained as the five of them took their seats. “You can’t talk. Whispering’s okay sometimes, but you just have to be super quiet.”

“Okay,” Eleven said. 

“Want some?” Dustin passed his bag of popcorn to her. El just stared at it. 

“It’s good,” Mike said, noticing her hesitation. “See?” He took a giant handful and stuffed it into his mouth. 

She nodded and grabbed a few pieces.  

“Good, huh?” Mike asked as she chewed. 

“Really good,” she whispered back. 

“Okay, get ready to be amazed at the awesomeness that is the movies,” Mike said excitedly. He then mentally kicked himself for sounding like a complete nerd. Luckily, El didn’t care. She gave him one last smile before turning to the giant screen. 

The movie began, and Mike realized about halfway through the film he wasn’t even paying attention. He had been so caught up in watching El’s reaction that he completely missed the entire plot so far. Cheeks burning, he set his attention back on the movie, stealing quick glances at Eleven every once in a while. 

Eyes wide and hand reaching for popcorn every so often, El seemed to be entranced with the movie. Her eyes stayed locked to the screen, never even noticing the boys periodically watching her. She felt like she was transported to another world–a good one this time. A happy one. 

The movie kept playing, and as Jake Ryan kissed Sam in the final scene, El felt tears sting in her eyes. Without even realizing, she grabbed Mike’s hand. 

Mike sat there frozen in shock. She was holding his hand. _She was holding his hand._ He prayed that Lucas, Dustin, and Will weren’t watching. He looked over to El for an explanation, but her focus was still devoted to the movie. Mike wondered if she even knew her hand was holding his and he was slowly dying because of it. 

The credits began to roll and the lights came back on. Eleven finally took her eyes off the screen and looked down, seeing her hand gripping onto Mike’s. 

“Sorry,” she said, pulling it away. 

“I-It’s okay,” Mike stuttered out, feeling his face get hot again. “D-did you like the movie?”

El grinned. “I loved it. Did you?”

“Uh huh,” Mike said, pretending to know what the movie was actually about. “It was, uh, really good.” 

“Total chick flick,” Dustin yawned as they all got up and left the theater. 

“Don’t worry, Ghostbusters is next on the list,” Mike rolled his eyes. 

“Thank you for taking me here,” El said as they all walked back to Mike’s house. 

“No problem. I’m glad you liked it. We’ll go again, I promise.” 

El smiled. She knew going to the movies with Mike would be her new favorite activity. 

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> This is set in the summer of 1984, since both movies mentioned came out at that time.


End file.
